A Clacton headteacher today backed Government moves to crack down on truancy - despite the extra work it will create for schools.

Nick Pavitt of Colbayns High School, Clacton, said his school was running a pilot project aimed at reducing its truancy rate of 4 per cent.

The school has appointed an attendance project officer - part of whose job is to make first-day contact by telephone with parents when a child is absent.

Colbayns School also has an electronic registration system which provides accurate information on whether pupils attend each session in the day.

The Government wants to increase pressure on schools to contact parents immediately when children fail to attend.

But the move has sparked concern among teachers' leaders that it will create extra work.

The guidance comes just three days after ten-year-olds Lisa Hoodless and Charlene Lunnon disappeared on their way to school in East Sussex.

Mr Pavitt said: "We want to reduce our quite high rate of 4 per cent to three per cent this year. That is in line with the Government's target of bringing it down by one-third."

He admitted the move took up time and resources but felt it was worthwhile.

"Those who do not attend regularly get behind and into a cycle where success is harder to achieve."

Mr Pavitt said the school was working hard with parents to reduce truancy and that parents were grateful and responding well to the initiative.

Existing guidance places the duty on parents to contact a school as quickly as possible to explain why their children are not attending. But the new circular strengthens this advice - and puts the onus on schools.

It says that "on the first day of absence, if a pupil is absent without explanation when the school register is called, school staff should, wherever possible, contact the parents that same day."

However, David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said first-day checks for truancy would place too much pressure upon head teachers already experiencing heavy workloads.

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